I like Kabaneri the Iron Fortress and I’m looking at something along the same lines but in Europe they had Wells/Verne land battleships or Moorcock’s Land Leviathan. Somewhere between Kabaneri and Pride, Prejudice and Zombies there’s a lot more stories to be told. I’m going to start with a Wild West variant for my own reasons. While NPC homesteaders might put up their life savings of $500-600 to kit out a wagon with livestock and provisions to head west, I’m thinking an adventurer spent more time on training than saving up for gear so they start at $100 in equipment and a free set of clothes.

I’m starting the conversion by reskinning the Grav Train from Dead Suns. Despite the fact the train is built as a vehicle, I want to pull over some Starship systems, the various Sleeping/Hotel cars representing Common, Good and Luxurious Crew Quarters. I’m not saying that ALL steampunk games need to have an Airship or private Armored Train that the PCs build up over time the same way that Starfinder players own a Starship, but for a Steam Fortress campaign they probably should.

Hayajiro (駿城) Armored Train

Level: 10
Price: $25,000 (The Hiyajiro is a military specified train built to more rigorous standards than a civilian passenger train. $25,000 gets you the locomotive)
Type: Colossal land vehicle (15 ft. wide, 10 ft. tall, 100 ft. long) Typical US steam trains are less than 15 high, 10 wide and the tracks are 4 ft 8 inches apart.
Speed: 60 ft., full 1,100 ft., 130 mph (Typical US steam trains in the 1860s reached 60mph.)
EAC: 23; KAC: 24; Cover: partial cover (probably the passenger cars would have improved cover, zombies still get people through the gunports, the Locomotive engine would have total cover as we never see the zombies get to the crew)
HP: 150 (75); Hardness: 15 Locomotive, 10 Passenger Cars (the passengers are protected like an Armored Car, the Locomotive more resembles military vehicle with sloped armor, but nothing like a tank)
Attack (Collision) 12d10 B (DC 11) (Riflemen in the passenger cars seem to have the equivalent of a Musket or Hunting Rifle, maybe rifles plugged directly into the Locomotive’s boiler could do an extra 1d6 as per the Mechanic Trick Overcharge, but without reducing the power of the Train’s boiler significantly.)
Attack (Collision) 12d10 B (DC 11) (they get a cannon during an episode)
Modifiers: +2 Piloting, –2 attacks (–4 at full speed)
System: autocontrol, unstable engine; Passenger: 48

---

Special Abilities:
Autocontrol Some vehicles have autocontrol, which enables you to spend your actions on tasks other than piloting, but is far less capable than an autopilot. You can engage autocontrol as a swift action after taking a drive or race action, and it lasts until it is disengaged (also a swift action) or until the vehicle is no longer capable of moving. When you’re using autocontrol, the vehicle becomes uncontrolled, but each round it moves in a straight line for the same distance and at the same heading and speed as the last pilot action (moving as if taking two drive actions if drive was the last action the pilot took, or as a race action if that was the last action the pilot took). The autocontrol uses the result of the pilot’s most recent Piloting check as the result of its Piloting checks.
Unstable Engine (Ex) Once a Steam train becomes broken, its engine explodes in 1d4 rounds (even if it’s been wrecked), dealing 8d6 fire damage to anyone riding the locomotive and 1d6 fire damage to anyone within 50 feet (Reflex DC 13 half).

Jōki kikan-sha (蒸気機関車) Steam Train

Engine	Builder	Year	Weight	Cost
4-4-0	Baldwin	1860	24 ton	$9,725
0-8-0	Baldwin	1860	27 ton	$11,331
2-6-0	Rogers	1863	36.5 ton	$12,500
4-4-0	Baldwin	1865	30 ton	?
2-8-0	Baldwin	1866	40 ton	$19,960
4-4-0	Baldwin	1870	35 ton	$10,000
4-4-0	Baldwin	1875	35 ton	$7,000
4-4-0	Baldwin	1885	40 ton	$6,695
2-8-0	Baldwin	1889	60 tons	$10,800

1855 Baldwin 4-4-0 25 ton                   375 hp 20 ton tender
1860 Baldwin 4-4-0 24 ton $9,725
1860 Baldwin 0-8-0 27 ton $11,331
1863 Rogers     2-6-0 36.5 ton $12,500
1865 Baldwin 4-4-0 30 ton                    520 hp 20 ton tender
1866 Baldwin 2-8-0 45 ton $19,950
1870 Baldwin 4-4-0 35 ton $10,000
1875 Baldwin 4-4-0 35 ton $7,000? 560 hp 21 ton tender
1885 Baldwin 4-4-0 40 ton $6,695
1889 Baldwin 2-8-0 60 tons $10,800              58 ton tender

Manufacturer: Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, PA
Production era: 1889- 1897
Could pull up to 50 wooden cars at a speed of 35 mph.
Cost: $10,800
Class Specifications
Length: 57 ft.
Height: 14 ft. 6 in.
Weight: 120,785 lbs (60 tons)
Wheel configuration: 2-8-0
Tractive effort: 29,376
Cylinder bore & stroke: 20 x 24
Driver size: 50 in
Tender coal capacity: 13.8 tons
Tender water capacity: 6,000 gal
Tender weight: 116,630 lbs (58 tons)
Boiler pressure:180 psi

Level: 5
Price: $9,725 (The price listed is for a 24 ton Baldwin 4-4-0 locomotive and its coal tender)
Type: Colossal land vehicle (10 ft. wide, 10 ft. tall, 100 ft. long) Typical US steam trains are less than 15 high, 10 wide and the tracks are 4 ft 8 inches apart.
Speed: 60 ft., full 500 ft., 60 mph (Typical US steam trains in the 1860s reached a top speed of 60mph, the express passenger trains in 1864 averaged 32mph.)
EAC: 13; KAC: 16; Cover: partial cover (the locomotive and passenger cars would have partial, normal trains were made of wood with glass windows, the locomotive was iron with a very open area where the crew stood.)
HP: 100 (50); Hardness: 10 Locomotive, 5 Passenger Cars (the passengers are protected like a Car, the Locomotive is all wrought iron and open to attack)
Attack (Collision) 8d8 B (DC 7)
Modifiers: +0 Piloting, –2 attacks (–4 at full speed)
System: autocontrol, unstable engine; Passenger: 48

---

Special Abilities:
Autocontrol Some vehicles have autocontrol, which enables you to spend your actions on tasks other than piloting but is far less capable than autopilot. You can engage autocontrol as a swift action after taking a drive or race action, and it lasts until it is disengaged (also a swift action) or until the vehicle is no longer capable of moving. When you’re using autocontrol, the vehicle becomes uncontrolled, but each round, it moves in a straight line for the same distance and at the same heading and speed as the last pilot action (moving as if taking two drive actions if drive was the last action the pilot took, or as a race action if that was the last action the pilot took). The autocontrol uses the result of the pilot’s most recent Piloting check as the result of its Piloting checks.
Unstable Engine (Ex) Once a Steam train becomes broken, its engine explodes in 1d4 rounds (even if it’s been wrecked), dealing 8d6 fire damage to anyone in the locomotive and 1d6 fire damage to anyone within 50 feet (Reflex DC 13 half).

Tesla Electrified Dynamo-car

In the era of the steam fortresses, Nikola Tesla built a special car out of a Union Pacific Boxcar, which is equipped with extra sets of wheels under the car that spin dynamos inside the car as massive counter-rotating flywheels built up energy as the train moved along the tracks.  Under full speed, the dynamos charge up and power Tesla’s many experiments. The flywheels keep extra power available for higher power, lower speed, or full stop requirements. It is rumored Tesla’s train has a primary locomotive, and a number of pusher-dynamo generator engines, making it a portable power station.

The Tesla Electrified Boxcar described here is supposedly modeled after one of Tesla’s early prototypes and offered commercially by a number of train car builders and are custom built to the customer’s requirements. The Tesla Electrified car can represent a Tech Workshop or Science Lab. The Electrified car can also represent a Power Core Housing if you wanted to add some more gadgets to your train.

Lightning Cannon

Lightning Swivel Gun

E. C. Knight Sleeping Car ($7,000 cost in 1861 and very handsomely appointed.)

Price: $7,000 (Richard Imlay built the first sleeper in 1837, and the accommodations were little more than wooden benches or hanging shelves. In 1861 E.C Knight introduced an improved sleeping car based on river barges, there was no dining on the Knight car)
Type: Land vehicle; Size: Colossal (10 ft. wide, 54 ft. long, 10? ft. high)
Speed: 15 ft., full 90 ft., 10.5 mph (Velocipedes with iron frames and wooden wheels recorded speeds up to 17kph.)
EAC: 10; KAC: 11; Cover: partial
Attack: None
HP: 6 (5); Hardness: 5
Modifiers: –1 Piloting, -2 attack (–3 at full speed)
Systems: None; Passengers: 52

Pullman Sleeping Car

Price: $24,000 ($24,000 in 1865, each passenger paid $2 per night (1865 was $18,000 to build, $500 just to paint))
Type: Land vehicle; Size: Colossal (10 ft. wide, 54 ft. long, 10? ft. high)
Speed: 15 ft., full 90 ft., 10.5 mph (Velocipedes with iron frames and wooden wheels recorded speeds up to 17kph.)
EAC: 10; KAC: 11; Cover: partial
Attack: None
HP: 6 (5); Hardness: 5
Modifiers: –1 Piloting, -2 attack (–3 at full speed)
Systems: None; Passengers: 52

Pullman Hotel Car

Price: $30,000 (In 1867, Pullman introduced a sleeping car with a kitchen at one end and tables in the passenger sections. It would be later replaced by Dining Cars. Meals were $0.60 or less, depending on choice.)
Type: Land vehicle; Size: Colossal (10 ft. wide, 54 ft. long, 10? ft. high)
Speed: 15 ft., full 90 ft., 10.5 mph (Velocipedes with iron frames and wooden wheels recorded speeds up to 17kph.)
EAC: 10; KAC: 11; Cover: partial
Attack: None
HP: 6 (5); Hardness: 5
Modifiers: –1 Piloting, -2 attack (–3 at full speed)
Systems: None; Passengers: 52

In 1870 it took approximately seven days and cost as little as $65 for a ticket on the transcontinental line from New York to San Francisco; $136 for first class in a Pullman sleeping car; $110 for second class; and $65 for a space on a third- or “emigrant”-class bench.

In 1873 England got its first Pullman sleeping cars. Dining car service opened in 1879. In 1879, Sleeping and drawing room cars were available on 3 lines in England, 3 lines in Scotland, and 1 line in Italy. In 1888 England established service with a full Pullman train consisting of a parlor, drawing room (with ladies’ boudoir and dining room), restaurant, smoking car, and electric lights. The earliest services used Edison electric bulbs and Faure lead oxide accumulator cells charged by the steam engine the night before.

In 1875 major lines added dining cars, and at the same time, dinner prices on Hotel cars went up to $1. There was a proliferation of copycats in 1880. In 1886 Pullman patented the Vestibule system, which allowed passengers to move freely from one car to the next, a feature that the proliferation of dining cars necessitated. Pullman’s first vestibule cars went into service in 1887. In 1889 Pullman bought out two of the leading competitors, one of which was violating the vestibule patent. In the Steam Fortress setting, anyone trying to pass between cars without a vestibule would be subject to outside weather conditions and possible attacks from the unquiet dead. In 1887 a method was devised for heating the cars using steam from the locomotive and removed the need to have individual heaters on each car.

Passenger Car (re-skinned Passenger seating)

Passenger Car 1835 37ft long with a clerestory roof, one of the early 8-wheel cars. $2,000 each, carried 60 passengers. The passenger car has a water closet. This would act like the Starship Expansion Bay Passenger Seating take it 4 times to get 60 seats.

Passenger Car 1860 $4,000 each passenger paid $1.50 per night

Arms Palace Horse and Stock Car 1885

A 46ft passenger car for up to 16-18 horses, prior to this, horses were transported on stock cars designed for livestock which often weren’t ventilated, the animals shipped in stock cars often got sick and died over long journeys. Livestock cars could just be Passenger seating equivalent, with Horse Cars being equivalent to Common Crew or Guest quarters. As size larges, we’ll say the equine passengers take up the space of 4 people, and the math for a 16-horse train car stays pretty clean.

Brig -Prison cars exist

Cargo Hold – Freight boxcars, Tankers, Gondolas and Flatcars exist

Type	Railroad	Year	Wheels	Dimensions	Capacity	Cost
Gondola	M&H	1831	4	30ft		$136
Boxcar	M&H	1831	4	30ft		$143
Boxcar	B&O	1835	8	30ft L x 7ft W	10 tons	$269

Escape Pods and Life Boats don’t exist

Hangar Bay and Shuttle Bay don’t exist, but possibly a Garage for steam vehicles might.

Medical Bay, surgical theater, and several recovery rooms might be built into a custom passenger car, but surgery should not be attempted while the train is moving, and anything done on a moving train should be at the speed penalty for the train. Will research actual hospital trains.

Recreation suite, not a gym or holo-suite, but possibly a parlor car with beverage service and cards or billiards.

Science Lab and Synthesis bay are dependent on how much super science you want.

Smuggler compartment, maybe.

Michaux velocipede Boneshaker

Price: $100
Type: Land vehicle; Size: Medium (2 ft. wide, 5 ft. long, 2.5 ft. high)
Speed: 15 ft., full 90 ft., 10.5 mph (Velocipedes with iron frames and wooden wheels recorded speeds up to 17kph.)
EAC: 10; KAC: 11; Cover: None
Attack: (Collision) 2d4 (DC 8)
HP: 6 (5); Hardness: 5
Modifiers: –1 Piloting, -2 attack (–3 at full speed)
Systems: None; Passengers: 0

Hemming’s Monowheel

Price: $50
Type: Land vehicle; Size: Large (2 ft. wide, 8 ft. long, 8 ft. high)
Speed: 15 ft., full 175 ft., 20 mph (Hemming’s son had a 5ft monowheel that was reported to cover a mile in three minutes.)
EAC: 10; KAC: 11; Cover: Partial
Attack: (Collision) 2d4 (DC 8)
HP: 6 (5); Hardness: 5
Modifiers: –1 Piloting, -2 attack (–3 at full speed)
Systems: None; Passengers: 0

The 2 hp engine used in the Michaux steam velocipede could run for 2-3 hours on its alcohol boiler and water tanks, the lighter weight Roper steam velocipede with an 8 hp engine could only last about half an hour. Given the difference in their top speeds, the Roper could go twice as fast, the Michaux could go twice as far. I give the 2 hp engine a usage of 1, and the 8 hp a usage of 4. As the Roper weighed 150 lbs and the Michaux 194 lbs and were both built on a ~60-pound Boneshaker frame, the Michaux-Perreaux had a 137 lb Perreaux engine. The weight of the Roper’s engine must be ~90 lbs, and both include water tanks and fuel. I’m going to take the leap of faith that the Roper didn’t have the water tanks and fuel reserves of the Michaux-Perreaux.

Steam Gun (蒸気銃, Jōki jū) or Steam Cylinder/Tube (蒸気筒, Jōki-zutsu) (modified Hunting Rifle)

Description
With a lever action based on the Winchester design and a barrel and foregrip like a carbine, this basic rifle is used by Bushi in Japan, as well as US Cavalry soldiers in the United States and regular troops in armies all over the world. Unlike a gunpowder weapon, the pressure inside the barrel does not spike and then lower as the projectile moves down the barrel. A steam gun exerts constant pressure on the projectile until it leaves the barrel. It fires a round lead ball in .44 caliber and is powered by a portable pressurized steam tank capable of firing 20 shots before it is empty. Gunners on steam trains are able to connect their carbines directly to a steam power distribution system connected to the boiler of the locomotive. Carbines connected to the boiler are capable of taking more powerful shots while conserving the steam in their individual pressure tanks. A gauge on the pressure tank indicates the number of shots left in the tank. Ball ammunition is loaded into a tube magazine under the barrel.

Colt Dragon (コルトドラゴン) (modified Handcannon, Swagger)

Description
A six-shot revolver based on the Colt Walker, this heavy pistol is used by Texas Rangers and US Cavalry in the United States. Unlike a gunpowder weapon, the pressure inside the barrel does not spike and then lower as the projectile moves down the barrel. A steam gun exerts constant pressure on the projectile until it leaves the barrel. It fires a round lead ball in .44 caliber and is powered by a portable pressurized steam tank capable of firing 10 shots before it is empty. Ball ammunition is loaded into the cylinder.

Bullets
.44 caliber round lead bullets are $1 per 100.

Steam Arbalest (蒸気アーバレスト, Jōki ābaresuto)(modified autotarget rifle)

Longarms Two-Handed Weapons Projectile
Level: 2
Price: $75
Damage: 1d6 P
Range: 60 ft.
Critical: —
Capacity: 10 rounds
Usage: 1
Bulk: 2
Special: Analog, automatic
Description
A steam-powered automatic crossbow, steam arbalests fire continuously for as long as the trigger is depressed and fresh bolts are available in the magazine. It fires a metal-tipped bolt which is reloaded from a cylindrical magazine when a steam piston draws back the steel cable bending the limbs of the bow. Powered by a portable pressurized steam tank, the arbalest is capable of repeatedly drawing and firing faster than a traditional archer. It can fire 10 shots before it is empty. Arbalists on steam trains are able to connect their arbalests directly to a steam power distribution system connected to the boiler of the locomotive. Arbalests connected to the boiler are capable of taking more powerful shots while conserving the steam in their individual pressure tanks. A gauge on the pressure tank indicates the number of shots left in the tank. Bolt ammunition is loaded by exchanging cylindrical magazines behind the foregrip.

Analog
This weapon does not use electronics or electrical power sources. It is immune to abilities that target technology. While this use of the word “analog” is not technically correct when referring to technology, the use of the term in this way has become common.

Automatic
In addition to making ranged attacks normally, a weapon with this special property can fire in fully automatic mode. No action is required to toggle a weapon between making normal ranged attacks and using automatic mode.
When you make a full attack with a weapon in automatic mode, you can attack in a cone with a range of half the weapon’s range increment. This uses all the weapon’s remaining ammunition. Roll one attack against each target in the cone, starting with those closest to you. Attacks made with a weapon in automatic mode can’t score critical hits. Roll damage only once, and apply it to all targets struck. Each attack against an individual creature in the cone uses up the same amount of ammunition or charges as taking two shots, and once you no longer have enough ammunition to attack another target, you stop making attacks.
For example, if you were using a Gatling gun with 27 rounds remaining, you would target the nearest 6 creatures in the cone and use up all 27 rounds.
If more than one creature is equidistant and you don’t have enough cartridges remaining to shoot at all equidistant creatures, determine randomly which one you target. You can’t avoid shooting at allies in the cone, nor can you shoot any creature more than once, even if you have enough cartridges to fire more shots than you have targets. Attacks in automatic mode take the same penalties as other full attacks.

Bolts
16-inch wooden bolts with sharp points are $0.50 per dozen.

Knife, Hunting (狩猟用ナイフ, Shuryō-yō naifu)

Dueling Swords, Tactical

Pressure Tank

Pressure tanks charge powered weapons and they can also be used to power an array of technological items. Pressure tanks come in a standardized size and weight, and items that take steam power all have a pressurized charge connector with which they connect, regardless of the item’s size. Weapons that use pressure tanks list the highest-capacity tank they are capable of using as well as how many charges from the tank that each shot consumes.

All Pressure tanks

Name	Level	Price	Charges	Bulk	Special
Pressure tank	1	$6	20	5L	–
High-Pressure tank	4	$33	40	1	–
Super-Pressure tank	4	$39	80	2	–
Ultra-Pressure tank	5	$45	100	4	–

Backpack Engine (背負い機関, Seoi kikan)

The High-Pressure tank is mounted to a packboard that keeps the heat of the tank away from the wearer and carries the load better than other belt and strap configurations. Cavalry units have devised a split tank saddlebag arrangement which is for horses essentially the same as the backpack version is for people.

Powered Armor pressure tanks are attached to the armor and cannot burn the wearer.

Recharging a Pressure Tank

Most settlements of any size have coal boilers capable of filling a pressure tank. To charge the full capacity of a spent pressure tank takes 1 round per charge and costs a nickel. You can charge a partially depleted tank, but the price for doing so is the same as if it were fully spent. Many homesteaders keep their tank attached to their boiler or potbellied stove at home, accumulating a charge by a trickle at one charge per hour. Hotels often have a similar connector on their heater radiator. Some large locomotives and steamships have connectors for their gunners and other crew. These offer recharging at no cost, but they typically take 1 minute per charge to repressurize an empty tank. The Engineers have direct access to the boiler and can repressurize tanks at 1 round per charge, whether they do that for the going rate of a nickel, or a shot of whiskey or both is up to the GM.

Gunports, there are many gunports along the sides of the train cars, there are doors between the train cars and hatches up to the roof of the train cars as well.

Technological Item Descriptions

Technological items are described below. Where items are grouped into a category, that category and the items that fall into it are listed in a single entry.

Binoculars

Binoculars are useful for watching opponents, wild game, and sporting events from a long distance. You can view distant objects through binoculars as a move action, which grants you a +1 circumstance bonus to vision-based Perception checks against objects 30 feet or farther from you. $8.25

If you have any questions about this post please contact me at

Evilrobotgames @ gmail.com